xml-dev - Re: PCDATA

[Peter@ursus.demon.co.uk (Peter Murray-Rust)]

In message <199705071303.JAA12106@nathaniel.ebt> gtn@eps.inso.com (Gavin Nicol) writes:
[...]
> 
> I would suggest that you application look to see of the PCDATA contains
> only a single \n, and if so, toss it.

Thanks for encouraging me on this.  I think it will be such a common 
occurrence that it should be in the XML-lang spec.  I will raise my
head over the parapet again...

> 
> >Problem 3.
> >This seems to imply that a WF document *produces different output* if it is 
> >validated against a DTD.  I accept this is true for SGML, but is it also
> >true for XML?  If so, I think we shall have an awful problem educating
> >people.
> 
> Yes. This is why I said we should keep *all* PCDATA; at least application
> will always know what to expect. RE delenda est (David Durand's and my idea)
> also get's around this problem nicely in a slightly different way.
> 
> I am somewhat dissatisfied with this apect of XML, but can live with it.
                                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I think this is true for anyone brought up in the tradition of SGML.  It's
much tougher for a webhacker.  It's not easy to realise that:
<CML>
<!-- a comment -->
<XVAR>...
inserts TWO separate newlines in the parser output from a WF document.  It
fooled me.  Most people would assume there weren't any.

	P.

-- 
Peter Murray-Rust, domestic net connection
Virtual School of Molecular Sciences
http://www.vsms.nottingham.ac.uk/

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